Stool



Nov. 20, 1934- I J. WORLEY, J11, ET1AL STOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May. 19, 1930 [72 pen/016 John 200/16 yJr Elmer. I. Free/012a.

Nov. 20, 1934. J. WORLEY, JR, ET AL STOOL Filed May 19. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 f w? fire f. m 5

I of its larger size.

to do with stools provided with an attached 29: may be assembled from collapsed condition by Patented Nov. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFIFIGE STOOL John Worley, Jr., Pasadena, and Elmer L. Vreeland, Los Angeles, Calif., assignors to Worley & 00., Pico, Califl, a corporation of. California Application May 19,j1930, Serial No. 453,602

9 Claims. (01. 155-42) This invention has reference to stools of a type particularly suited for use in kitchens and.

other places where, ordinarily, the limited space renders a chair more or less undesirable because And theinvention further has step or foot rest which, when not in use, may

be moved to out-of-the-way position directly beneath the stool. The combined step thus gives cthe stool ladder characteristics with resultant additional utility as will be readily understood.

It: is a general purpose of the invention to provide astool of this nature; having such structural characteristics as to enable it to be packed and shipped'in knocked-down condition, and to render it, when in this condition,,capable of being put compactly into a small container. In addition, the invention contemplates the provision of a stool of knock-down construction which a simple operation which requires but a few readily understood instructions.

Without mentioning at this'point further 013- jects and aspects of the invention, the present type of stool may becharacterized in general as;

having a removabletop structure, which when removed; enablesthe legs'andattached parts to be collapsed. The cross members or braces-interconnecting the legs of the stoolare connected with the legs ina manner such as will permit mounting of the step are such that it may be collapsed with the-stool-parts without interfering with the compactness of the known-down structure.

The above aspects and characteristics, as well as additional aspects of the invention, will be understood most readily and discussed to best advantage inthe following detailed description of a typical: and preferred embodiment of; the invention Reference is had tothe accompanyi s d aw n s. -wh ch:

Fig; 1 is. ageneral-perspective view. of the herein described preferred formof stool;

Fig- .2. is an en r ed ir ement ry .s ct ona :1

indicated by line 2--2 of Fig. 1, andv showing. particularly the step mounting and connection with the stool legs;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig; 2, showing the step swung to collapsed position;

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of one of. the legs as indicated by line 4-'-,l.of Fig. 2;

Fi 5 isa fragmentary view taken as indie cated by line 55 of Fig; 2, but showing the. parts at the side of the step adjacent stool legs Fig. 6 is a plan view on line -6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. '7- is a bottom view of the'combined top. mounting and leg clamping structure, looking upward on line 7-7 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a section online 8, 8'of Fig. 17;;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the partsdirectly beneath the top as indicated on 1ine'9 9 of 'Fig. 8; and Y Fig.10 isa viewon 'reduoed scale, showing the: stool legs and step insemi-collapsed positions.

Referring to the drawings, the stool proper" comprises the'four legs 12, 13, 14 and l5, which preferably are arranged so as to diverge downwardly in order to lend stability tothe stool. Preferably, the legs-will'be formed of angle iro'n: with thesides ofpthe angles turned-under andbrought together at the bottoms of the legs,.as at 16, see Fig. 4, to form the feet. The turnedunder portions of the'legs may be'drilled as at 17 to provide openings for the purpose of attaching additional footings, for instance-rubber feet, should it be desirable;

In the form of stool' shown, the front and rear pairs of legs 12', 13' and 14, 15,.respectively, are interconnected in a'mannersuch that the pairs are capable of relative movement whereby they may be brought together to collapsed position, thelegs ofthe respective: pairs however being relatively immovable. Legs 14 andRlB-are"; rigidly joined-togetherat an intermediate point by cross brace 18, and at' their upper ends by means of plate 19, see Figs. 8 and-9, the details of which will be described later; Legs l2'and 13 are interconnected at their'upper endsby; means pf; a similar member- 20, gandatanrintermediate point by brace 21,.which,. a swill be seen, may conveniently serve as a.,-support for the step atitsrear; Brace 21 is pivoted to the egs; as an o as 1 o-h m le o t raine to. accommodate swinging of the step. The front ndfearpai o es are int rconne ed by aee .a d-- 2. hich ar t rm n ll as at-,-25 to,the innersides of the legs- :Bytheir ivotal-czcnn cticm a =es:;2.3;and wi rmiti-the front and rear pairs of legs, when the latter are released at their upper ends as will be described, to be moved relatively longitudinally and together in the manner indicated in Fig. 10. In order to prevent binding between these cross braces and the legs as the latter are collapsed, due to the fact that in the particular form of stool shown the legs diverge downwardly,

the braces may be bent near their ends, for

example as shown at 2'7 in Fig. 1, in order to clear the legs. suitable collapsible brace construction may be used for braces 23 and 24, that is any suitable form that will permit the forward and rear pairs of legs to be brought together when released;

A step 28, the sides of which preferably are tapered toward the front in accordance with the angularity between legs 12 and l3,'is supported near its front end by means of legs 29 and 30, pivoted at their upper ends to hinge plates 31 secured to the underside of the step. The latter is supported at its rear end on the pivotally movable cross brace 21, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. connected by cross rail 32 and are joined to stool legs 12 and 13 by means'of angular braces 33, the front portions of which extend substantially in-parallel with thesides .of the step, and therear portions-being in line withlegs 12 and 13. As shown in Figs. 2 and 5, braces '33 are pivotally joined to both the step and stool legs, as at 35 and 36, respectively, thereby permitting the step legs to be swung upwardly and toward the stool legs to the collapsed position shown in Fig. 3. Y

Relative pivotal movement between the step and-its supporting legs, and between the step and legs 12 and 13 is permitted by the. hinge joints 31, and the pivotal connections 22 between cross brace 21 and the stool legs, respectivelya Thus the step may be grasped beneath its forward edge and swung upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 3, substantially in parallel with the stool legs. Preferably the position. to which the step may be swung is limited by suitable stop means, for :instance by lugs 38 projecting from the pivoted ends of brace 21, so that the lugs engage the inner face of legs 12 and 13 when the step is swung parallel there with, to prevent further swinging movement of the step. Means may also be provided for limiting the position to which the step may be swung downward, suitable stop means for this pur pose being typically shown as comprising the upwardly bent end portions 211) of brace 21, see Fig. 5, which are brought into engagement with the innersides of legs 12 and 13, as at 39 in Fig.2, when the step is in a position substantially parallel. with the stool top, described hereinafter.

The step legs. also preferably are formed of angle iron similar to the stool legs and diverge downwardly at a corresponding angle. As shown in Fig. 2, the front sides 29a and 30a of tli "step legs are bent backward at their upper ends, as indicated at 40, the bent portions' bearing against the under side of hinges 31; erably is in excess of the radial distance of the sides'fi-292L30a, from pivots 31, so that as the step is swung toward collapsed position, a certain amount of binding will occur between the bent or curved partsof the legs and the underside of hinges 31. A two-fold advantage is gained by this construction in that it prevents It will be understood that any) The step legs are rigidly interpending flanges 19a and 20a which widen diag- The radius of curvature of the bend-pref re ime the fingers of the person grasping the step from being caught between the upper end of the leg and the step, and also in that the step is prevented from dropping from collapsed position,

by virtue of the binding in the joints as described.

The top structure assembly generally indicated at 42, see Figs. 7 and 8, may be char-a the pairszof legs at their upper ends when the stoolis 'assembled, serve also as a means for releasably mountingthe top on the legs.

' The upper cross members or plates 19 and 20, interconnecting the respective pairs of legs, are generally angularly shaped, their top sides 19c 200, being of substantial width in order to provide suitable bearing for the top 43. As shown in'Fig. 8, the sideszof members 19 and 20 are cut so as to provide comparatively narrow deonally at the ends of the members and at'the' points of connection with the legs. Bearing is a clamping plate 45 having projecting lips 4511 on itsfour sides intermediate the legs, portions 450. being shaped as shown in Fig. 8, to form channels 4511' One opposing pair of channels 451) fits upward around the bottom edge of the depending flange portions 19a and 20a of the cross members, thejotherpair of channels 45b receiving the horizontally projecting and deagainst the under sides of members 19 and20 pending flanges 48 on both ends of the cross members, flanges 48 having a certain amount of overlap with the side lips 45a of the clamping plate. Thus the distance between an opposing pair of channels 451) will be substantially the length of cross members 19 and 20 between the outer sides of flanges 48, so that an opposing pair of the channel lips on the clamping plate will fit these flanges fairly closely. -Plate 45' 'is'held in clamping engagement with the depending flanges on the cross members; by means of thumb nut 50 threaded on a' screw'51 carried on the top 43, the screw depending through a central opening 52 in the plate. will be noted that the clamping plate is dished somewhat at its center, as-indicated at 54, so as to give the plate flexible characteristics and thereby enable its central portion to yield upwardly as pressure is applied thereto. Thus as thumb nut 50 is tightened, the tendency is for the plate to bow upwardly at its center and thereby permit an appreciable range of adjustment of the nut, tothe end-'that the latter, once adjusted, will not become loosened upon jarring of the stool, since the plate is initsel'f, by virtue of its flexibility and resiliency, capable of taking up any looseness that may occur. i In the operation of assembling the stool, assuming the parts to be in the collapsed position shown in Fig. 10, the legs are first brought to their normal positions, and clamping plate 45 applied to the under side of cross members 19' The forward and rear'pairs of flanges 19a and 2011 will be brought to fit within the second pair of channels 45b on the clamping plate. The top 43 may be put in place either before or after applying the clamping plate, and after the latter is fitted to the cross members, thumb nut 50 is tightened so as to bring the plate into secure clamping engagement with the cross members. And as previously mentioned the thumb nut will be taken up to the point of causing the plate to flex somewhat, so that subsequent jarring will not loosen the assembled parts.

It will be understood the drawings and description are to be considered merely as illustrative of and not restrictive on the broader claims appended hereto, for various changes in design, structure and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of said claims.

We claim:-

1. A stool comprising four legs, a removable top mounted on the tops of said legs, a pair of brace members terminally pivotally interconnecting pairs of said legs and permitting said pairs of legs to be moved relatively together to collapsed positions, said pairs or" legs being relatively longitudinally movable and removable means in combination with said top for locking said pairs of legs against relative longitudinal movement independently of said cross members.

2. A stool comprising four legs, a removable top mounted on said legs, a pair of cross members pivotally interconnecting pairs of said legs and permitting said pairs of legs to be moved relatively longitudinally together to collapsed positions, means in combination with said top for releasably holding said legs against relative longitudinal movement independently of said cross members, a step pivotally mounted on one of said pairs of legs, and a step leg structure pivotally connected to said step, both the step and the step legs structure being adapted to be swung into collapsed position substantially in parallel with the attached stool legs.

3. A stool comprising four legs, a removable top mounted on said legs, a pair of cross members pivotally interconnecting pairs of said legs and permitting said pairs of legs to be moved relatively together to collapsed position, means in combination with said top for releasably holding said legs against relative movement, a step pivotally mounted on one pair of the legs, a pair of step legs pivotally connected to said step and a cross member pivotally connecting the pair of stool legs to the step legs, both the step and the step legs being adapted to be swung into collapsed position substantially in parallel with the attached stool legs.

4. A stool comprising four legs, a pair of cross members interconnecting respective pairs of said legs at their upper ends, means interconnecting said pairs of legs whereby they may be moved relatively together to collapsed positions, a clamping plate adapted to engage the underside of said cross members to prevent their lateral relative movement, a top resting on the upper side of said cross members, and means for releasably securing the top to said plate.

5. A stool comprising four legs, a pair of cross members interconnecting respective pairs of said legs at their upper ends, said members each having a longitudinal depending flange, a resilient clamping plate having at opposite sides a pair of channels adapted to engage the depending flanges on said cross members to prevent relative lateral movement of the cross members and the attached pairs of legs, a top resting on the upper side of said cross members, a bolt depending from said top through a central opening in the plate, and a nut threaded on said bolt, said nut being adapted to be taken up to bear against the under side of the clamping plate to secure the top in place. i

6. A stool embodying, a plurality of legs, a removable top mounted on said legs, cross members pivotally interconnecting said legs and permitting the legs to be moved longitudinally and laterally together to collapsed position, releasable means joining said legs at their upper ends and preventing relative lateral movement of the legs, and means for releasably securing said top to the last mentioned means to prevent relative longitudinal movement of the legs, said securing means being attached to the top exclusively at the underside thereof.

7. A stool embodying, a plurality of legs, a removable, top mounted on said legs, cross members pivotally interconnecting said legs and permitting the legs to be moved relatively together to collapsed positions, a pair of top cross members interconnecting pairs of said legs at their upper ends, a releasable clamping plate holding said top cross members against relative movement and a top releasably secured to said clamping plate to cooperate therewith in holding the top cross members against movement.

8. In astool having a plurality of legs, a step pivotally connected at its rear edge to two of said stool legs, a step leg pivotally connected to the step toward its front edge, said step being adapted to be swung into collapsed position substantially parallel with said stool legs, and a brace pivoted terminally to the step leg and one of the stool legs; said step leg comprising an angle member one side of which is pivoted to the step and the other side of which is bent arouately to engage frictionally the underside of the step to frictionally hold said step in collapsed position.

9. A stool comprising a top, a plurality of upright leg members, means interconnecting said leg members whereby certain of said leg members may be moved longitudinally relative to others of the leg members to and from collapsed and extended positions and means releasably securing the upper ends of all of said leg members in extended position to said top effective to maintain said leg members in rigid relation to said top and to each other and to lock the cer- 

